Our Journey in Art
“Dr. Ahlam Bavi (she/her) is an international mixed-media designer, digital artist, and design researcher whose work bridges technology, cultural heritage, and inclusive design. As an immigrant scholar with a global network of collaborators across museums, universities, and cultural institutions, she brings an international perspective to the role of digital design in shaping equitable futures. Her practice is grounded in a commitment to accessibility, cultural preservation, and community-engaged research.
Before relocating to Canada, Dr. Bavi served as the supervisor of the Departments of Industrial Design, Art Studies, and Graphic Design at Azad University in Iran, where she played a central role in shaping curriculum and advancing design-led innovation. She founded multiple makerspaces and fabrication laboratories in Iran, establishing platforms for experimentation in digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, and creative technology. These labs became vital hubs for student empowerment, interdisciplinary learning, and innovation in digital design.
Dr. Bavi also served as a staff member at the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of British Columbia, where she focused on developing micro-credentials for accessible education across British Columbia. She brings years of instructional design and teaching experience to her current role at the University of Regina.
Now based in Canada, Dr. Bavi leads research that explores how emerging technologies—such as 3D modeling, scanning, printing, and augmented and mixed reality—can be mobilized to make cultural heritage more accessible, particularly for Indigenous communities and marginalized groups. She is the principal investigator on a SSHRC Insight Development Grant (IDG) and SSHRC Explore Grants–funded project focused on the preservation of Inuit cultural heritage, and a co-investigator on the Marieval Indian Residential School (IRS) and COWESSESS Cemetery Project, as well as other collaborations such as the Digital Museum of Canada project for the COWESSESS community. Her goal is to reimagine heritage institutions as inclusive, participatory, and technologically advanced spaces. Her research draws on user experience (UX), user interface (UI) design, and universal design principles to build responsive, culturally relevant digital environments.
Dr. Bavi’s ongoing collaborations include projects with Indigenous artists and knowledge holders across Canada, as well as initiatives with the Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq and other community-based organizations in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Her work emphasizes digital repatriation, co-creation, and the ethical remediation of cultural materials—efforts that go beyond digitization to address questions of ownership, access, and cultural repair.
Internationally, she contributes to global dialogues on digital heritage. Her scholarly output includes peer-reviewed articles (recent ones listed below), and she frequently presents at international conferences on topics such as digital museum and storytelling, gamification in heritage contexts, and design for social impact:
Bavi, A. (2017). Computer Algorithm Classified Artwork for Generative Design
Dr. Bavi earned her PhD in Digital Art and Humanities from the University of British Columbia, where her dissertation focused on digital repatriation, remediation, and the reparative potentials of digital cultural heritage in addressing cultural loss. She also holds a Master of Art Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, which underpin her expertise in the interdisciplinary field of traditional and experimental design practices. She is currently preparing to supervise graduate students beginning in September 2026, and international interns through MITACS Globalink Research Internship projects beginning in summer 2026 (click here for more details ). She welcomes inquiries from students interested in digital heritage, Indigenous Repatriation, design justice (emphasizes community-led design), and creative technologies.
Our Vision and Values
At Our work is driven by a commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and innovation in cultural heritage, design, and technology. We believe in bridging the gap between communities and digital experiences, ensuring that knowledge and cultural narratives are preserved and shared through open-access resources and emerging technologies.
Our Core Values:
- Accessibility & Inclusion: Making cultural heritage and design tools available to all, including marginalized and visually impaired communities.
- Collaboration & Open Pedagogy: Fostering partnerships between academia, industry, and communities to create shared learning experiences.
- Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Utilizing 3D digitization, AR, VR, and interactive design to enhance cultural storytelling and user experiences.
- Sustainability & Ethical Practices: Ensuring that digital preservation respects cultural ownership and long-term accessibility.
Through these values, we aim to create immersive, user-centered experiences that empower communities and transform the way cultural heritage is preserved and experienced.